Dark Hearts
by Emeraldserpent36
Summary: Hermione shows Draco a different way of life during their final year Draco falls for Hermione and he falls hard. When she disappears he loses himself again.When she returns 5 years later,Draco has reverted to his old ways.Now a renowned and wealthy womanizer living the high life in London how will he reignite the love she once had for him when her fiancé is Draco's business partner
1. Never lost in dreams

**A/N: Well I'm back and a little sooner than planned, which is always a good thing...I hope so. Anyway this for those who liked my other story 'One Hell of a Year' I think will really like this one although it isn't set in Hogwarts anymore. This isn't going to be a short story but I'm not how many chapters it will be yet. I hope you all enjoy the story and thanks for reading it. Updates should be weekly for quite a while as I have taken some time off.**

**Disclaimer: I Own Nothing.**

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Chapter 1.

Still deep within the night the screaming ceased. The dead lay still, enshrouded in blood, dirt and smoke. Death was still heavy in the air and people just sat and waited, waited for something, anything, or anyone to legitimise this terrible sacrifice.

Tears slid past the dirtied cheeks of Hermione Granger as she consumed the magnitude of loss before her. The fruits of victory seemed lost within the twisted cold bodies of her friends. Lost…to everyone now.

The putrid stench of death still clawed at the heals of Draco Malfoy as he fled towards the lake. Smears of blood, dirt and tears marred his face; his hands desperately clawed at the filth ripping through the skin.

The ghostly light of the moon framed his haunting reflection in the smooth surface of the water, eliciting a strangled cry from his cracked lips. The realisation that his beliefs and aims advocated this suffering and this terror uprooted his very existence.

His hands reached manically for the cool water below him, cleansing his skin in desperate, violent motions.

Abandoned by everything that is good in this world Draco Malfoy sought salvation for his wrong doings.

No one would have recognised him if they saw him now; once a cocky, arrogant and cruel boy had been brought to his knees by the demise of his enemies.

"Hello? Is anyone down here?"

A gentle but concerned voice broke the constant silence, alerting him from his dormancy.

He dragged the dirty cuff of his shirt across his blood shot eyes to hide his distress from the fast approaching figure.

"Hello?"

A small light began to tiptoe its way through the tree branches soon revealing the infuriating but welcome face of Granger. Her battered face illuminated by the small sphere of light emanating from the tip of her wand.

"Oh…sorry."

Her face instantly contorted into an awkward grimace as she saw Malfoy standing in front of her.

He had been brought up to hate her and all her sort but now more than ever he hated her. She represented everything that he was not, good, kind, compassionate. How he hated her for reminding him of his low life existence in this world.

But yet he did not feel he could dismiss her with one of his cold hearted snaps. She was there and he didn't want to be left alone again that night. His father and mother had both fled the grounds long before now, leaving the guilt of his actions to fester and thrive in his solitude.

She turned away almost at once upon seeing his face. No doubt she'd been searching for Weasley or Potter. How unfortunate she should come across him he thought.

"Wait"

The laboured steps of her bruised body ceased momentarily.

He watched as her tiny fists clenched at her sides channelling all that she felt into her cut palms.

"If you're going to insult me Malfoy go ahead. My friends have died tonight so if you think you vocalising your petty prejudices is going to have the slightest effect on me…"

Her voice remained in the same hateful monotone. Steady and unforced.

"That's not why I asked you to stop."

He cut across her hate filled words almost having to stop himself from reaching out to her to prevent her from leaving. He couldn't be alone anymore; his guilt was ripping him apart. It could be her or anyone right now…he just needed someone

"Well then what is it?"

Anyone but Hermione Granger would have said this with an air of impatience and frustration but beneath her hard exterior he could sense a hidden glimpse of concern. That was the difference between him and her. She was good and he was bad.

"I know we're not exactly friends Granger…just don't"

He noticed her loose curls sway ever so slightly in the breeze and the way her skin, covered in blood and dirt, still bore its almost translucent glow.

"Don't what Malfoy? If you're coming then I'm leaving now but if you're not then stay here but stop wasting my time."

His hands ran frantically back and forth through his dusty blonde hair. Could he really bring himself to ask a favour of _her?_

"Please I am asking you to stay."

Hermione didn't know quite what was intriguing her so much about this scenario. Malfoy was actually speaking to her like she was another human being. He had never asked her to do anything for him before and she couldn't help but be fascinated by it. She had never sought his approval but now that there were some glimpses of acceptance she couldn't bring herself to leave them behind.

Draco couldn't help but feel the power of self loathing that he had been trying to suppress. He needed someone and she was there and so right now Draco Malfoy needed none other than Hermione Granger.

An internal sigh of relief relaxed his tensed muscles as she slowly stepped closer to him. He sat down quietly in his previous place by the water's edge and waited for her to accompany him.

Hermione couldn't help but feel somewhat flattered by Malfoy's request. People had always needed her for homework, her intellect and knowledge. No one had ever just needed her for _her _before…even if it was Malfoy.

As she drew her knees up close against her chest, still feeling wary about being in such close proximity with her enemy of nearly seven years. When she looked at him, waiting for him to say something, she noticed slim passages of clean skin amongst the dirt on his face. She couldn't be sure but it looked as though he had been crying.

Draco Malfoy and crying were never two words she would have put together before now. She was genuinely surprised. He had always seemed so cold an unemotional; she didn't think he had it in him show any emotion besides hatred.

She hated the fact that in the very depths of her mind she couldn't help the feelings of sympathy that slipped through the hatred. But Hermione was good and Draco was bad.

The empty shell that occupied the space next to Hermione remained silent, still revelling in the fact that he was not alone with his guilt anymore. He expected her to ask questions but she just sat there with him in silence and in that moment that was what he needed, a silent friend that would not judge him or berate him but just be with him.

"Where are your parents?"

The tranquillity swiftly ended in her clipped sentence. He was back in reality again now. Somehow sitting next to the lake with Granger had seemed so far from reality he hoped that this whole thing had been a dream.

"Gone."

The word was said with a force of such resentment it unnerved Hermione as to what she had unearthed. Was this boy actually safe? Am I being dreadfully naïve by staying here with him alone? Were the questions that began to jerk back and forth through her mind questioning her usually well grounded logic, which she prided herself on so greatly.

Even though her logic was screaming out to her it couldn't get passed the wall of curiosity that urged her to want to know more.

"Why did they leave you here?"

The words had slipped from her mouth before she even had time to think.

He sighed deeply; inhaling the thick summer air. The stench was still there though, it seemed even down here he was not free from it.

"Because they don't care…never did"

The words were only just audible under his breath but she still heard them. She was beginning to wonder if she was actually talking to Draco Malfoy or whether this was some imposter with blond hair and she was still very very concussed, for all she knew she could be giving a counselling session to a lost death eater.

"I sometimes wonder what kind of person I would have been if they weren't my parents. Do you think I would still be a bad person or would I have been different …maybe even good…like you?"

The vulnerability in his voice and the sense of loss and pain almost made her want to feel sorry for him. But deep down she knew she already felt sorry for him. She had always been a compassionate and forgiving person, attributes that she didn't know Malfoy had picked up on during their brief encounters in the past. He was exposing himself to her completely and she couldn't just ignore it and move on as though nothing had happened because that wasn't who she was.

"I don't think you're a bad person Malfoy. I think you've had a bad start."

She couldn't know how her words only made him hate her more. How could she be such a good person? How did she find it within herself to always do the right thing? Her beauty only made him feel more ugly.

"How do you find it within yourself to sit here with me?"

He could barely bear his own presence but now he was forcing someone else to withstand it as well. How could she even look at him? He was a weak and pathetic piece of nothing. All this blood purity bullshit didn't seem to make any sense when she had the purest heart he'd ever come across.

"Because you're upset and alone… I wouldn't want to be left on my own if I felt like that."

And then he lost the self control that he had been clinging onto so desperately.

"How are you so fucking good?"

She flinched at his sudden outburst, edging further away from him on the bank.

She was scared of him. The pathetic piece of lowlife that he was and she was scared of him. How he loathed himself.

She stayed quiet, obviously awaiting the second instalment of his outburst but it didn't come.

He felt something stuck in his throat that he desperately wanted to alleviate but didn't quite know how to. Even his breath was laboured in trying to reach his lungs.

"I'm sorry."

And then he said it. Words that his father had taught him never to say but had really wanted to say to her that day at Malfoy Manor. Her screams still haunted his dreams sometimes.

"It's ok"

Her voice was feeble and scared.

"Not for that…for everything."

Hermione was stunned. He was apologising for everything he had so adamantly believed in his whole life. It felt to her as though she was saying that she hated Hogwarts a History. She didn't want his apology to to define her acceptance as a person in this world but it meant more to her than she cared to admit. It was as though an uncomfortably heavy weight had been lifted from her overburdened shoulders. For the first time in her life she was beginning to see Draco Malfoy as a human being and not just a vessel for his father's hatred and prejudices.

"Thank you"

She felt so relieved now that this weight had been lifted and an overwhelming gratitude for him being able to find it within himself to apologise.

"I never wanted this you know? Not really."

The thought that Draco Malfoy had been a victim in all of this had not been allowed to be entertained within her head for more than five minutes before. Perhaps he was just as lost and confused as everyone else only he had the wrong people to guide him. Hermione knew that Draco had lost friends that night too and no matter what side you were on friends were still friends. No one could ever want _this _could they? Children left without mothers and fathers and they without children, friends without their friends and wives without their husbands. It made her believe that deep down under all the darkness there was actually a good person within him.

"I don't think anyone did."

He continued to stare at the lake as the moonlight lay sleepily on the rippling waters. Could he change now after all this time? Could he be a better person?

"I don't deserve to be here right now."

His self hatred was becoming more apparent to Hermione and in all honesty she wanted him to feel it because if he didn't accept that he had done things wrong then he couldn't change but she did not believe that he deserved to be dead. Others more deserving were dead but he no he did not deserve to die.

"You shouldn't say that. Just because you think you're not worth anything it doesn't make you worthless."

He didn't feel quite so alone anymore. Even though she was the last person he had expected to be here with he wouldn't change it. He'd always noticed Hermione's beauty, most people had, but he had never truly appreciated the beauty she had as a person.

He had never truly known love or friendship, trust or loyalty but sitting here with her made him believe that he might…one day.

"I have to go but you should come back up to the castle with me."

She gracefully unfolded her knees and relit the tip of her wand with that familiar ethereal glow.

"No. I think I'll go back to London for the summer. No one up there will want to see me now."

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself...If you do ever need to…talk again…I don't mind listening."

Draco stood as she reached the borders of the forest and what he did next he couldn't explain but he just had to do it.

As she turned her back to him he caught her arm in motion and pulled her small frame gently towards him. He saw the alarm in her eyes for only a moment before he pressed his lips gently against hers.

Her lips were soft and warm against his and in that moment he felt some of the ice melt within his heart. He had never felt the way he did now when kissing one of his late night hook ups.

She couldn't understand why she hadn't already pulled away from his tight embrace but something within her was moulding her lips to his. Hermione seemed to be defying everything that she thought she knew about herself and for none other than Draco Malfoy.

She had never been kissed like this before, never felt the intimacy that so many of her friends bragged about but she could feel it now. She could feel everything now.

Even though he could have stayed like this for the whole night he gently removed his lips from hers; his grip on her arms still tight.

"Thank you."

Their eyes were connected for a brief moment and both their hearts beating wildly out of their chest, though neither of them cared to admit it. And then he was gone as he went back into the forest leaving Hermione completely overwhelmed by the side of the lake.

* * *

The loud chug of wheels and whistling of smoke pulled Hermione from her dream about the last time she had seen Draco.

She hadn't told anyone about that night but had thought of it often during the lonely but welcome summer months. She just couldn't shake the feeling of him off her skin. She never thought she would be one of Draco Malfoy's girls. But somehow it didn't feel like that to her...it felt genuine, raw and vulnerable.

She couldn't work out whether she wanted to see him or not, which was exactly how she felt when she found out that he would be returning to repeat his last year at Hogwarts. She wasn't used to not knowing how to feel and she found it unnerved her slightly.

"Just seen Malfoy on the carriage down the aisle. I still can't believe he had the gall to actually show up after everything he did."

Ron bumbled out in a way that Hermione now found to be grossly uninformed. She couldn't help but feel those familiar nerves that had taunted over the summer ebbing slowly back in.

"Oh really?"

She made an attempt to sound disinterested and unaffected by Ron's entrance but there was something within her voice and the way she had been acting recently that made Harry question the truth of that throwaway comment.

"Yeah, looking as smug as ever. You'd think he'd at least stay in his compartment so the rest of us didn't have to look at his face."

The malice was obvious in Ron's words but Hermione wasn't really listening. She'd never been kissed like that before and she couldn't help but wonder if she ever would be again. Would it be awkward when they saw each other? Would he come and talk to her about it? Would he even acknowledge that it happened? Were all questions diverting her from Ron's repetitive rant about his grievances against Malfoy.

She was so deeply involved in her own thoughts that she didn't notice when someone else appeared in the doorway. She continued to debate within her head whether or not she was making too big of a deal out of this or not.

"Hermione…Hermione!"

She was ever so rudely pulled from her contemplative gaze and awoke to the face of Malfoy standing in the compartment doorway.

"He wants to talk to you."

Harry said whilst shaking her shoulders gently and gesturing carelessly towards the figure in the doorway.

Her heart suddenly leaped into her mouth as her eyes ran over the same lips that had been so tightly pressed against her own that night. The sincerity in his eyes that moment he had kissed he was still somewhere in the depths of those silvery orbs.

Hermione struggled to find her footing as she slowly made her way over to the compartment exit and its current occupant. An unnerving shiver rippled down her spine as his hand rested on the small of her back as they both left.

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Hermione was nervous but in a way she had never felt before; they were filling her with anticipation and wonder as she made her way to Draco's dorm. He had never asked her there before.

Draco was one of the few Slytherins that had returned to repeat his final year and so going through the Slytherin common rooms wasn't really an issue anymore. But they had always met in secret before, mainly for her sake as she didn't want Harry and Ron to find out that she had started seeing Malfoy…especially Ron.

Draco knew she was nervous about going any further with him. She had no experience whatsoever apart from a few quick kisses with Victor Krum in fourth year. She knew that Ron had wanted to go there with her but she just didn't feel that way for him anymore; over the summer they had grown apart and she didn't want to go back to that part of her life again. As for Draco she knew about his previous extensive 'experience' in that area but then again who didn't?

But when it came to Draco, he made her feel like no one else had ever done before; when she was with him she felt…she couldn't put into words how she felt it was just different.

The Slytherin portrait hole finally came into view but now those nerves began to morph into apprehension and fear. But before she could give the password to the rather threatening looking hooded figure that occupied the portrait hole it swung open.

Draco stood before her looking effortlessly gorgeous as ever but since they had spent time together it was as though he didn't know it anymore. That night last year he had lost a part of him; a part of his soul. The more time they had spent together this year the more good was drawn from him. She would never forget the first time he had kissed her, it was the first time in her life she had been properly kissed.

"Hermione are you ok?"

She was suddenly alerted to how long she had been standing in front of the portrait hole daydreaming.

"Oh yeah…I'm fine."

A confused smirk tugged at the sides of his mouth before he put an arm around her and took her up to his room.

Hermione pondered over her surroundings for a moment. Had this been what she'd expected his bedroom to look like? There were shelves heavily adorned with books and papers. She even found herself distracted by a few of the titles that lined the walls.

She had somewhat expected it to be lavished in green and silver but there were only a few modest touches here and there, dark green sheets and two small serpents carved into the wood at the foot of his bed.

His desk was littered with books, papers and ink with little balls of scrunched up paper slowly building a fortress around it and there was a single picture on his dresser of his mother and him sitting next to each other on a garden bench.

As Hermione continued to drink in the small details of her surroundings she quite forgot that she was not the only one here until…

His lips were soft against her neck. Warm but chilling at the same time.

"What are you thinking about?"

She smiled at how observant he had become over the months they had spent with one another.

"You…and what I thought your room would look like."

He carefully placed a few disobedient curls out of his way as his kisses continued to elicit small shivers from the girl in his arms.

"I see. And what do you make of it?"

Hermione sighed softly as his strong hands encircled her small waist.

"More than I expected it to be."

"And what were you thinking about me?"

She turned slowly in his arms and placed her cool feminine hands on either side of his chiselled face.

"The same thing."

His eyes flashed momentarily with something Hermione couldn't quite place but before she knew it his mouth was firmly pressed against hers in a searing kiss.

Their lips moulded seamlessly to one another's as they quenched the same fire that had been raging between them both.

Those strong and forceful hands picked the girl up before them and encircled her legs around his waist before carrying her slowly over to the bed; their lips never breaking.

She sighed desperately as he broke their kiss when she lay firmly beneath him on the centre of the bed. The nerves were still there because she knew exactly where this was going but the desire he had ignited within her belittled her nerves too greatly for them to be heard.

He watched the frightened girl beneath him that meant so much breath heavily in and out anticipating what he would do next. He couldn't help feel guilty for what was happening. He, the dark and tainted one was defiling something so pure and innocent for his own gratification. Only it wasn't like that; they both wanted this not just him she had told him that herself. Hermione Granger had told him a lot of things that had made him a better person but he still never quite believed it. But not tonight, tonight he would give her this the way she deserved it.

The moment he had taken her had been gentle loving and concerned but not without pain. He kissed the few tears away as her pain subsided before he was lost in her utterly and completely.

She had taught him how to love and in the process he'd fallen for her.

* * *

Golden brown eyes snapped open in a state of panic as Hermione awoke from her dream. The sound of her erratic breathing broke the silence of the darkened bedroom.

"Are you alright love you're shaking?"

Hermione then realised that there was actually a hand on the small of her back but it did not belong to Draco but to her fiancé, James. She quickly repressed the slight disappointment she felt at this.

"Yeah I'm fine, just a dream."

He ran soothing circles across her back before sleepily pulling her still slightly disgruntled form close against his chest. Hermione could feel the warmth of his body radiating through the cold sweat she had worked herself up into. The soft exhalation of his breath against her exposed neck calmed her somewhat as she fell back into reality.

Minutes passed and then hours but she could still not bring herself to go to sleep. Tomorrow she would come face to face with Draco Malfoy for the first time in five years at James' business event and James, had no idea that the two of them had ever met.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are always highly appreciated so feel free to leave me your thoughts :)**


	2. Time for an Explanation

**A/N: Hello sorry for the wait and read below for my rather poor explanation. Enjoy the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I Own Nothing.**

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Hermione studied herself carefully in the bathroom mirror trying to identify everything that had changed about her in five years. Eventually she resigned herself to the fact that she looked exactly the same except a little older. James stood watching out the corner of his eye taking note of her curious behaviour.

Her body slipped into the silky dress, hugging her curves perfectly. Eventually Hermione had secured her hair into sleek long curls that contrasted beautifully with her skin.

About half an hour later both were ready to depart, although some more apprehensive than others about the events of the forthcoming evening.

"You look stunning."

James whispered lovingly against her neck before leaving behind a gentle kiss and strange feelings of guilt began to settle within her.

She knew it would not be long now before she came face to face with him and her insides were not comfortable with this idea.

"Are you ok?"

She wanted to scream from the top of her lungs that she wasn't ok but Hermione was not one for melodramatics and so she replied with a simple nod.

Luckily the traffic lights seemed to be in her favour tonight as they had consecutively been red every time the stout black London cab had pulled up. As the car was waiting she caught a glimpse of herself in the wing mirror of the car…she looked terrified.

Draco sat at the bar closely examining the glass of whisky before him. The clinking of crystal and bustling of staff eventually pulled him from his contemplative state and he refocused his attention on the stock of waitresses. After a few moments of evaluating his options none particularly caught his eye and he sighed disappointedly into his whisky once more.

No one was here yet and he was growing rather restless. Draco Malfoy had never been a patient man. This evening was going to be a painfully long one as he exchanged insincere pleasantries with hoards of people on the verge of complete intoxication. The only reason he was really sticking around was because James had been trying to get him to meet his fiancé for a few months now and he had always seemed to have some clever excuse to get out of it but not tonight. She was no doubt just going to be another generic beauty only after his money and inheritance.

He laughed quietly as he pictured himself being engaged. Matrimony was not something he was particularly eager to rush into and the idea of getting married was a highly amusing one to him. He'd only ever met one girl that he would happily commit to monogamy for for the rest of his life for but that girl wasn't here anymore.

His brief amusement quickly turned to a bleak sadness as his mind drifted back to that girl. Draco could still taste her lips on his own; still feel her body against his, still here her sweet and musical laugh. He would do almost anything to have her back.

A resounding crack tore him away from his memories as the whisky glass shattered in his hand. He stared down at the shard of glass scattered across the counter. How did she still do this to him?

The room was soon filled with the hoards of people that Draco had predicted and each was talking about the other as though none could hear. Hermione's head was pounding as she took James' arm up the stairs.

"Are you sure you're ok love you're really hot."

This was her chance to escape and she was just about to take it and ask James to take her home when.

"Honestly I'm fine."

She had heard the words but could not believe that they had come from her own mouth. What was she doing? Why hadn't she just affirmed his suspicions and feigned sickness. Hermione knew why but she didn't want to admit it. She may have been petrified but her body was laden with a greater desire than she had ever felt and she knew the only way to satisfy it was to see him.

Her guilt was revived when James kissed the back of her hand.

She did not know why she felt such a strong desire to see him or such excitement. Hermione was well aware of what he had been occupying himself with in the past few years; women, drugs, alcohol, gambling were only the opening chapters of the story. So why did he still have so much power over her?

Draco now stood at the bar with a pretty blonde he had acquired with no effort at all. This really was becoming far too easy. He knew his evening was going to be fruitless after thinking about Hermione…it always was. So Draco quickly abandoned the hopeful girl by the bar and lost himself in the crowd.

Hermione stood at the double door entrance and processed the idea that he couldn't be more than a few meters away from her. A few meters was the closest they had been in five years. She had wondered how she had managed to avoid this scenario for such a long time but she couldn't bring herself to feel grateful. Instead she decided to marvel at her surroundings in a desperate attempt to distract herself from the forthcoming introduction. The room was large but not intimidating as it embodied a warm and welcoming atmosphere fuelled by the loud chatter of the guests. A drowsy light illuminated the room and the bar at the back was filled with an array of brightly coloured liquids. A blonde head of hair quickly darted away from a rather disgruntled looking woman trust up in a skin tight black dress at the far end of the bar.

Hermione choked slightly on her drink as she realised who that probably must have been. Where was he now? Who was that girl? Can he see me? Were all questions racing through her overcrowded mind. Perhaps examining the room had not been such a good idea after all as just the flash of blonde hair had doubled her nerves and growing apprehension.

A comforting hand had found the curve of her hip and gently soothed the overwhelming worry that was growing inside her.

"I'm going to go and find him. I want him to see how beautiful you are."

Well that comfort was shortly lived as she snorted at the irony of her thoughts a moment ago. She would normally smile at his sweetness and flattery but tonight she could not find it within herself to muster more than an unenthusiastic curve to her lips.

Hermione rifled through every logical explanation as to why he shouldn't fetch him now but her search proved to be fruitless. As one of logic's main advocators she could not deny that it made more sense to get it out of the way and leave as quickly as possible.

"Ok."

Her voice sounded dry and painful as she whispered the single word under her breath.

After a quick kiss James had disappeared into the cacophony of chatter and laughter leaving Hermione all alone, awaiting something she had been avoiding for half a decade.

Draco was desperately bored and was anxiously waiting for James to find him. That was after all the only reason he was still here; probably just to be completely underwhelmed by the whole encounter.

He surveyed the crowd; hastily ignoring the wanton looks he was receiving from several women. Tonight he just wasn't in the mood.

Suddenly a powerful palm came colliding down on the rock hard muscle of his back; causing the recently renewed whisky in his glass to almost escape. Draco was about to get very annoyed before a familiar face appeared before him.

"And where the hell have you been?"

James laughed at his usual icy tone before dragging him by the arm back to the bar.

"It's good to see you too."

He chuckled amusedly before ordering a rather complicated concoction that Draco didn't find particularly appetising by the long list of ingredients it entailed.

"Well let's get it over with shall we."

Draco didn't have to worry about disguising his non-committal and blasé tone with James; they knew each other well enough.

"I am imagining you are referring to my fiancé."

He downed the last of his whisky before once again slamming his glass back down on the marble counter.

"Who else?"

He muttered before grabbing James' arm and hauling him away from the bar to conclude this evening with the no doubt boring introduction of his soon to be 'other half'.

"Where is she then?"

James shook his arm free from the iron grip that was holding it and walked swiftly towards where he had left Hermione a few moments before.

"I honestly don't know why it's such a big deal that I meet this girl I mean it's not like you're going to change your mind if I don't like her."

James stopped suddenly obviously ignoring his tirade of insignificant ramblings. Draco collided abruptly into his back; this time thankfully having left his whisky at the bar.

He was about to issue a second tirade of curses before James stepped aside and his eyes met with the petrified but beautiful chocolaty orbs of Hermione Granger.

Several incomprehensible moments ensued as the whole room morphed into an array of unidentifiable colours and sounds. Was that her or was he just dreaming? His shirt suddenly felt overly tight across his chest and his tie felt more like a noose gradually crushing his throat.

He wanted to look up again to confirm that he had been mistaken and that she was not _his_ fiancé. Why could he not tear his eyes from the repetitive pattern of the parquet floor and verify his mistake?

"Are you all right?"

'_Oh god her voice.'_ He screamed within his mind. That sweet, beautiful voice that had tormented him many a night was real right now.

"Draco this is Hermione Granger the love of my life and the woman I am going to marry."

No, no, no! This had to be some horrible nightmare that had jumped into his head whilst he had fallen asleep at the bar. He wanted to be sick. She was not the love of his life. Hermione Granger would always be the love of Draco Malfoy's life.

"Draco?"

Suddenly everything came flooding back to reality as the sound of his name on her lips eradicated any other thought but her from his mind and for the first time in five years he saw her.

Her hair was just as it had been that night when he had last had her… Messy but sleek and sexy. Her lips still full and tempting with the ever constant exuding of a desire to be kissed. Her skin still soft and supple with the gorgeous ribbon of freckles across her nose. Her body still as mouth-watering as it had ever been. God he had missed her.

"Hermione."

Just the sound of her name on his lips was enough to drive him wild.

"Well what do you think of her Draco?"

Hermione and he both felt the painful obliviousness of James' words for he had no idea what they were saying with their eyes right now.

Draco watched her carefully and sighed inside when he realised he wasn't allowed to kiss her as he had always done when her cheeks were infused with that delicious blush. His heart was struggling to remain inside his chest and he could see the way her hands were shaking. He was so angry with her but yet all he wanted to do was kiss her.

Draco stepped forward confidently and her eyes darted to the floor, which had previously occupied his gaze. His body encircled her as he examined her from every angle not that he didn't already know every curve, every beauty mark and freckle by heart. He could feel her shaking almost uncontrollably as he allowed his hand to brush against her hip out of James' view. He could almost swear she moaned ever so quietly when his breath crept up the back of her neck. It was hard to be angry with something so beautiful.

"Well?"

James ever so rudely interrupted his long awaited inspection.

"Well what?"

Draco said in his usual drawl; not giving anything away to James.

"What do you think?"

He could still smell her sweet and delicious scent. Honey, cinnamon and spice. God he wanted her. If he could he would take her right now, he'd waited long enough.

"I think…I'm going to need some time alone with Miss Granger to make a proper evaluation of her suitability."

He felt her whole body tense as his request fell heavy in the air.

"That's a great idea I've got to go and sweet talk some of our clients anyway so you two get to know one another."

Draco could almost smell her fear and had to physically restrain himself when James planted a kiss on her lips. Those were his lips.

When his retreating figure was finally out of sight all facades were lost. Hermione caught his eyes for a moment before attempting to reach for the exit.

"Oh no you don't Granger! You've got a lot of explaining to do."

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**A/N: Sorry for the wait I had originally said that I would begin the story towards the end of July and decided that it would fit better with my time if that was when I updated the second chapter. I know this was short but I really wanted to end it on a bit of a cliffy and I thought this was a good one. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter reviews are always appreciated and thank you to those that reviewed the first chapter.**


	3. Stolen Touches

**A/N: This is a short chapter I know but I really wanted to finish it there but because it's so short I'll post the next one later on tonight or tomorrow morning as its already written. Thank you to my reviewers I hope you enjoy this chapter**

**Disclaimer: I Own Nothing.**

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Hermione was pulled from the friendly light of the buzzing venue and into a dark, unfriendly and unoccupied room. She wondered if it was alright for her to panic now. Her eyes darted frantically from side to side as she searched for those steely grey eyes and that white blonde hair but could only distinguish the thin seam of light outlining the door.

"Would you care to explain what's going on?"

She winced slightly as his hands gripped her wrists forcefully. He'd found her.

"Nothing is going on! I had no idea that James knew you when I started dating him."

She whispered feebly knowing that that was not going to amount to a satisfactory explanation.

A conflicted Draco Malfoy stood before her unable to identify the multiple feelings and frustrations that were surging through his mind. He couldn't work out whether he wanted to kiss her or shout at her.

He wanted to be angry with her and he was but all Draco wanted to do right now was touch her, if only to reaffirm that this was reality and not one of the many dreams she had occupied.

His hand almost unnoticeably reached for her waist before soothing the supple skin of her hip. Just to feel her, to touch her, to hold her he would give anything.

"What are you doing?"

Her voice was soft and gentle just as it always was when he touched her like this. Draco had to hold on with all his might as her beautiful brown eyes lost themselves in his; so trusting but yet so unsure as his hand continued to caress her.

"I'm touching you."

His deep baritone was a lustrous whisper in the heavy air and he could see the increased pace with which her breasts strained against their confines. Then there was that beautiful blush that infused her ivory cheeks.

"You mustn't"

Draco couldn't help the smirk that adorned his lips at the obvious lack of conviction with which she spoke and his hand drifted like a feather in the breeze to her cleavage. He could feel her heartbeat quicken as the back of his lay on the upper swell of her left breast.

"Why mustn't I?"

A scent of musk, pine and mint assaulted her senses as his lips brushed the shell of her ear. Hermione screwed her eyes shut; trying to repress the consequences of his allowed advances by picturing James' face in her mind.

"Because I'm not yours anymore… I'm his."

Draco's hand reluctantly fell from its previous occupancy as the brutal sting of her words hung heavy in the air. In contrast to his previous hopes he was now praying that this was in fact all a horrible nightmare but it wasn't and her words only stung more with this realisation.

"And when exactly did you stop being mine Hermione?"

Those eyes once alight with longing were now boring into hers with pain and anger. Hermione's fingers tied themselves in complicated knots as she struggled to break eye contact with him.

"Hm? Was it when you left my bed in the middle of the night? Was it when you first met James?"

Hermione's eyes now lay transfixed on the slate paved floor burying her guilt in the crevices between the stone.

"Or was it when he fucked you for the first time?"

She could feel the disobedient tears gathering in the corners of her cast down eyes as the resurfacing guilt probed her heart.

"Does he make you feel as good as I did? Does he make scream like I did? Does he make you come as…"

A sharp pain pierced his cheek as her hand collided with his face in a resounding slap. He recovered from the blow in disbelief and was met by her cold and angry eyes spitting at him in rage.

"I'd heard the stories about you, the headlines and the gossip but I tried so hard not to believe that you truly were the cold hearted, unfeeling and arrogant asshole they made you out to be! I guess I was wrong."

And with that she reached the exit and with a deafening slam shut the door behind her. Now Draco stood alone once more in the darkness of the room; the past 10 minutes mulling over and over in his mind. He could not repress the re-emerging pain that her words had left behind but he could not take them back either.

His hands ran back and forth through the depths of his hair and he sat, staring at the door; half expecting her to come back in a minute. He didn't really know what to do with himself; his whole body was on fire and had broken out in a cold sweat, his heart was beating faster than it had done in precisely five years and it was all because of her.

"She will be mine again."

He whispered huskily under his ragged breaths.

The journey home was longer than ever for Hermione and was only made worse by James' persistent enquiry into her time spent with Draco. She sighed deeply as her eyes traced every wrinkle in the leather of the car seat. She had to stay away from that man and devote herself entirely to this one, her fiancé, James.

Eventually the cab breaks halted and James was handing over the fair. The click of her heels on the concrete steps up to the front door made a welcome relief in the silence of the night.

Once the front door closed shut behind them and the somewhat lessened comforting glow of home was once again present, Hermione discarded her heels in the hallway and gradually made her way up the stairs.

"Draco seemed to like you a lot so I'm sure we'll be spending a lot more time together now that I've confirmed the contract with our investors."

James said happily as he loosened his tie and unfastened the first few buttons on his crisp white shirt.

Hermione stopped half heartedly on the second to last stair as she absorbed the ramifications of his prediction.

"Oh."

Was all Hermione could bring herself to muster now to exhausted and miserable to manage anything else.

That night as James made love to her she could only feel guilt and sadness as he held her close to him and told her that he loved her; the faint whisper of Draco's voice replaying in her mind.

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**A/N: Well Hermione and Draco have been reunited but there's still a lot more to come so stay tuned if you want to find out what. Reviews are always very much appreciated and beneficial to the story .**


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